When focus group participants were asked to name some things that kept them from going camping, many said they simply didn’t know how to camp. The focus group sessions were conducted last year by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Parks and Recreation.

“This came as somewhat of a surprise for those of us who have been involved with camping and outdoor activities from childhood,” said Courtland Nelson, director of the Division of Parks and Recreation. “It stands to reason, if you haven’t had the experience or training, a new venture can be intimidating.”

To remove the barrier, Minnesota state parks sought to partner with an outdoor recreation organization that could help provide equipment, teach and train those with a desire to learn the basics of outdoor camping.

As a result, Minnesota state parks and its partner, REI, developed “I Can Camp” for individuals and families to learn the basics of camping. . . .

Again, this program has its roots in the Pawlenty-era DNR, and when voters chose to dedicate (meaning it can't be spent on other things) funds to our amazing outdoors, the Parks and Trails Fund got a piece of the pie.

But Senator Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, is having none of these facts.

And it's all Governor Dayton's fault, according to a June 30, 2016 legislative update forwarded to us by one of Senator Newman's constituents. Newman complains under the subject line: You likely don’t know what Governor Dayton is spending your money on and you probably wouldn’t approve if you did [bold in original]:

You have often heard me criticize Governor Dayton and the DFL Senate Majority, and I think with some degree of justification, for what I consider an irresponsible increase in state spending. Since 2012 under Governor Dayton, income tax collections have surged 20%, overall spending burgeoned by 18% while our population increase and inflation both come in at around 3%.

With these percentages being so divergent, the question we need to ask is what is the money being spent on? Too often our tax money is being spent on government programs that are wasteful, feel-good or completely out of the realm of government responsibility. To illustrate, I will share with you a specific government program which epitomizes my criticism: The “I Can” program by the DNR is a perfect example of what I am complaining about. (http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/ican/index.html) “I Can Camp”, “I Can Paddle”, “I Can Mountain Bike”, “I Can Climb”, and “I Can Fish” are all programs designed and paid for by the Minnesota DNR to teach folks how to build a campfire, pitch a tent, paddle a canoe or catch a fish. The cost is generally under $100 and includes an instructor, all necessary gear and a park permit.

To quote the DNR website,

“Designed for families to try any or all for the first time.

Hands-on instruction from experienced and friendly crews.

Gear provided.

Free to unbelievably affordable.”

I don’t know what the cost of providing state employees the funds to purchase the necessary equipment, administrative fees or the cost to maintain and store the gear, but I’d bet it is significant rather than “Free to unbelievably affordable”.

As we noted earlier, the I Can! program funded by dedicated Legacy funding--that voters imposed on themselves--didn't begin with the election of Governor Dayton. Rather, it began in FY2010. Dayton took office in January 2010.

Does the program cost money? Why yes it does--and were Newman not so enamored of his own complaining voice, he could look look up how much Legacy dollars the I Can! programs cost for FY2010, FY2011, and FY2012 on the left sidebar here. As a state senator, he can ask the DNR for later years.

But fact-finding might get in the way of indignation and demagoguery, so Newman doesn't share this information with his constituents. He wants them mad! He continues:

I do not view state tax money to be compartmentalized or pigeonholed into various state agencies.

Sorry, bub, but the voters disagreed with you on this one, and directed money to be spent on the outdoors, clean water and the like. Since the DNR has worked on state parks and trails for years, we're baffled as to why these dedicated funds wouldn't be directed to an agency in charge of this sort of thing.

But there's more! Newman writes:

Rather, I believe tax revenue should target those legitimate and necessary functions that the private sector and individuals are unable to provide. I see waste that you are paying for like the DNR program described above as money that could be used to fund core functions of government like Bonding, Public Safety, Education and Transportation. Camping and fishing should be left for parents to teach their children on their own. That’s what I did.

Again, by approving the Legacy Amendment in 2008, voters put it in the Minnesota state constitution that this money could not be spent on "Bonding, Public Safety, Education and Transportation." Sorry, Senator Newman, but you can't steal the families' camping, climbing, canoeing and fishing money to spend on public safety--AKA, cops and jails.

On Planet Newman, if you're a kid and your parent/parents didn't grow up fishing, camping and the like, you're SOL. We suppose that we could just let kids wander around on lakeshores and campgrounds hoping they figure it out on their own, but that sort of thing can be dangerous.

I offer this example (and there are certainly numerous others) as an explanation for why I continue to balk at a request for an increase in the gas tax and supplemental budget bills that come on the heels of the 2015 appropriation bill which was the largest in Minnesota history. The lesson to be learned: so long as Governor Dayton is in charge of state agencies like the DNR and the Senate is controlled by the current majority, there will be even more taxes and increased spending; they have no limit on what they believe the government should provide.

Again: these programs are part of the Legacy Fund. Sorry: you can't raid them to pursue your dreams of tiny government and Father Knows Best nostalgia.

We'd asked the DNR communications office for information about the success of these programs. In an email, a spokester sent this passages:

Six years since the inaugural season of Minnesota State Parks and Trails’ flagship program, I Can Camp!, the I Can! series continues to flourish. Participation continues to rise each year, culminating in 2015 being our best year to date. With over 2,600 participants at I Can! programs, the 2015 program season saw record-setting attendance as well as an overall occupancy of 81%. Since the first I Can Camp! programs took place in 2010, annual participation has more than quadrupled and over 10,000 people have attended I Can! programs.

Cartoon: "Old Man Yells At Cloud" from The Simpsons.

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Bill Goins, long-time FedEx employee and chairman of the Minnesota Freight Advisory Commission, is part of the NAHSR Advisory Board. What does he have to gain monetarily by promoting this "shiny thing" package delivery system?

NAHSR's March 30 press release posted on its website regarding its public engagement as part of preliminary study states, "NAHSR will participate in a town hall public engagement session." To date, this session has not occurred. Without public meetings, how can this preliminary study be completed?

I am on the NAHSR database for communications, and nothing has been sent, and no press releases to local public media have published notice.

This is just another example of NAHSR's smoke-and-mirrors rhetoric and no accountability. Is this boondoggle ready for prime time?

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The solution is simple. We need agencies charged with our nation's security to be willing to investigate and pursue credible threats. We need to put those who pose a threat on the terrorist watch list, and when they're on that list they cannot be allowed to purchase firearms until removed. The NRA has made statements endorsing this measure. We need to detain anyone pledging allegiance to ISIS or to radical Islam. We need to block refugees from countries that are ground zero for radical Islamic recruitment and instead create a temporary safe place for those genuinely seeking refuge from persecution in a neutral location before we even consider shipping them into our borders.

Finally, we need leaders who are willing to call radical Islamic terrorism what it is without fear of being threatened and labeled Islamophobic. We cannot defeat our enemies if we cannot call them out for what they are.

America needs better leadership, and we need it this year. We are at a tipping point, and I encourage all of you to stand up this presidential election year and make your voice heard.

But we're struck most by the urgency to which Senator Gazelka gives to naming "radical Islamic terrorism" while being unable to name the presidential candidate he for whom he wants you to vote. While he states, "We cannot defeat our enemies if we cannot call them out for what they are," apparently one can support leaders without naming them.

Gazelka [R-Nisswa] talked about the Republican ideal of free enterprise. He also touched on the presidential election. Gazelka, who served as a state co-chair of the Ted Cruz campaign during the Republican primary, said he would vote for Donald Trump although he never actually said Trump's name in his remarks.

"I want somebody that at least says they're pro-life, at least says that they're going to appoint conservative judges, at least says good things about America and that America can be great, doesn't apologize for America," he said. "There's only one candidate that at least says those things. That's who I'm voting for."

Let's hope that someone comes out with a cheat sheet about what words must be said, those that must not be uttered and those that are optional.

Photo: Minnesota State Senator Paul Gazelka not saying Trump's name at the Falls Ballroom. Photo by Zach Kayser/Brainerd Dispatch.

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Facebook friends in Willmar have been wondered how to help the families of Idris M. Hussein, age 10 and Ahmed Sahane Hashi, age 11, who tragically drowned in Foot Lake yesterday. Following Islamic funeral practices, the boys' funeral and burial is today.

A Somali-American community member is sharing the following message for those who want to help the families. Like many families faced with the sudden death of a child, these are expenses that are unanticipated. Here's how to help the families:

Abdullahi Khalif OlowWe have agreed to put a donation box at Ainu Shams Inc Store here in Downtown located at 222 SW 4th ST Willmar, MN 56201. Abdullahi Omar, the owner of the store who is also coordinating the burial will be the contact person and his phone number is 612-298-6330. Anyone wanting to bring it to me will be okay too and I will deliver it to him.

Thanks again for all the well wishers who have been on standby to help the grieving families at moment of great need. Our financial and spiritual support to the families will be a blessing!

Olow mentions that well wishers have been on standby. Many non-Somali-American residents have wanted to help the families, but have been culturally sensitive about how to help, especially since it's Ramadan.

Another fund is being set up for the families of the boys. It will be administrated by the ELCA Lakeland Conference. Checks can be made to "Lakeland Conference" with Hussein-Hashi Funeral in the memo line. They can be dropped off at Bremer Bank, any ELCA church or sent directly to Lakeland Conference PO Box 1513, Willmar, MN 56201. The fund will remain active through July 31st. At that time the funds will be distributed equally between the two families through the mothers of the children. I will research how this can be done electronically for those who don't want to send a check. Thank you for all of your support. On a personal note, the families are extremely grateful for the support that has already been shown by the turn out at the graveside service.

Laid to rest two children today. The community came together for which I am grateful to God. Here is one thought shared at the service that will stick with me forever. Everyone in this world is on loan from God. We should treat each other accordingly.

I urged the governor to call for careful evaluation of existing light rail operations. They are not meeting original projections of ridership, etc.If people do not use it, we do not solve problems of traffic congestion.

After two years of operations, the region’s second light rail line is exceeding expectations.

Average daily ridership on the Green Line is 37,402, well on its way to the 41,000 daily trips forecast for the year 2030. Investment along the line, which connects downtown St. Paul with downtown Minneapolis, has totaled $4.2 billion, according to Metro Transit estimates. And market-rate housing projects have sprouted all along the route, even as 3,600 units of affordable housing have been created or preserved.

As such, praising the $1 billion Green Line is a sure-fire applause line for politicians in both the east and west metro.

But southwestern Minnesota, a state senator seems certain that voters won't care about facts, but will applaud the place-baiting.

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Jun 27, 2016

A reader sent us a reminder of another undelivered promise made by Wendy Meadley, strategic director of North American High Speed Rail Group. In Michael Brun's April 2, 2016 article in the Red Wing Republican Eagle, Comment period opens on high-speed rail, the staff writer reported:

Minnesota-based North American High Speed Rail Group will accept comments through April 29, either submitted online at www.nahsr.com or mailed to 8009 34th Ave. South, Bloomington, MN 55425.

“NAHSR is currently in a preliminary study process to assess if there is a business case to pursue the project further,” according to a news release. The business says it will incorporate comments and input from planned public meetings when making a decision to proceed.

UPDATE: A reader called our attention to the full press release here at Slideshare. The press release states:

Prior to the completion of the Preliminary Study period, NAHSR will participate in a Town Hall public engagement session. Information about the session will be posted on NAHSR’s website and communicated via press release to regional media, and sent via email to NAHSR’s option database. To be included in NAHSR’s ongoing public communication, you can sign up for the database at http://nahsr.com/contact-nahsr/.

The Town Hall never happened. Here's the image downloaded from Slideshare:

It's not as if the group enjoys a reputation for transparency. Back in early October 2015, Representative Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa wrote in Covert high-speed rail behavior needs scrutiny, op-ed commentary published in the Rochester Post Bulletin:

Recently, the North American High Speed Rail Group entered the fray. It's looking to build a high-speed rail line from Bloomington to Rochester along the Highway 52 corridor, supposedly on its own.

So what do we know about this outfit? . . .

Draz walks readers through elements of the now-discarded business plan, then raises points about the way "this outfit" operates:

I recently wrote a letter to the Federal Rail Administration to share my growing concerns over this project and to relay the numerous issues that are causing elevated angst levels from my constituents. They include:

• Lack of transparency: The stated FRA process of an open, publically engaged fact-finding mission for Zip Rail simply isn't happening. We've seen multiple examples of public meetings either not posted or publicized in local papers, delayed or abruptly canceled, creating the impression that public input really isn't wanted because the high-speed rail outcome has been predetermined. Some of the cities that would fall within the proposed corridor were never notified of upcoming meetings.

• Authenticity of community adviser committee: This group seems to be nothing more than a rubber-stamp assembly purposed to create the illusion of seeking community input while "checking-the-box" for the FRA approval process. To date, it's held one meeting.

• Lack of support for Zip Rail: My constituents aren't the only ones expressing doubt. Last session, the Minnesota House passed a bill prohibiting the use of government money to fund a Zip Rail project, ensuring eminent domain will not be used to build it and requiring any developer to demonstrate the ability to pay for the full costs if Zip Rail fails. There have been numerous formal resolutions and strongly worded letters of opposition to Zip Rail from many Minnesota cities, townships, counties, farm groups and individual citizens. None of these entities finds public benefit from the proposal. . . .

It's a good thing that Bluestem is indexed in Nexis, or those investors doing due diligence on this project might never learn that those "planned public meetings" never happened--or if they did, NAHSRG forgot to tell anyone along the route about them. Or other phantom projects once associated with the corporation.

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Jun 26, 2016

Bluestem was reviewing Tea Party activity across Minnesota--former powerhouses in Rochester and SW Metro (Chanhassen) seem inactive, while other chapters across the state seem stable--when came across Tea Part Alliance leader Jack Rogers' June 16 Facebook lament (and the invitation at the top of this post):

Good Morning America.

It appears the MN Speaker of the House Kurt Daudt is going to not only not stand with the endorsed candidate, Cal Bahr, but he is going to work against Cal and support Rep. Tom Hackbarth.

As the highest ranking Republican in the MN House we would expect the Speaker to be the best example working with the endorsed candidates.

Attached is a flyer that shows Rep Kurt Daudt's path to not support Cal the endorsed candidate, along with other Republicans. Look over the flyer and many of you may wish to contact your BPOU Chairs and ask them what some of these Republicans are doing.

One that concerns me, along with Rep. Kurt Daudt, is Rhonda Sivarajah. Why would she chose to go down this disappointing path, knowing that she is up for re-election in the very area where this election is taking place? This is of great concern to us.

Why are these people working so hard to try to stop Cal Bahr? Why do they want to stand with Rep Tom Hackbarth, who lied and broke his word, not to run if he did not receive the endorsement? What is taking place? What are these people hiding? Why?, is the question I would ask all of you to ask yourself.

Bluestem believes that "these people" are hiding nothing, since the most important part of the invitation isn't the presence of Speaker Daudt or Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah--nor three of Hackbarth's Republican colleagues from the House Mining and Outdoor Recreation Committee.

Rather, the important figures here are those in plain sight: the sponsors. Let's review who these folks are:

Dan Larson is a pretty common name in Minnesota--indeed, so common that there are two registered lobbyists that share the name. One is Daniel G Larson, a former DFL state representative from Bloomington who jumped ship in 2008 to join the law firm of Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP.

Nothing is hidden here. Why wouldn't these lobbyists want Hackbarth to win the primary (and general election) so that the pro-industry lawmaker can do his magic? Why would Daudt throwaway this revenue stream for members of his caucus?

The race for the state representative seat that includes parts of Oak Grove and Andover, along with Ham Lake, East Bethel, Linwood Township and Columbus got a new wrinkle in early June, when incumbent District 31B Rep. Tom Hackbarth was on the receiving end of a no-confidence vote by his district’s Republican Party.

The vote was passed by six members of the district party’s 10-member executive team present at the party’s June 1 meeting. The vote was cast in response to Hackbarth’s May 24 decision to file for re-election for his seat, which he has held for 10 terms. On April 2 at the Senate District 31 convention, Hackbarth lost his party’s endorsement after two ballots to Cal Bahr, who has also challenged Hackbarth in the last two elections. . . .

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Jun 25, 2016

Is Poker Wendy Meadley bluffing again--or is she just have to have a grift?

In Group pushes ahead with high-speed rail plans, the Post Bulletin's Heather Carlson reports that the new moneymaker Meadley is shaking for the $4.2 billion, maybe-not-so-high-speed, 77-mile-long passenger rail line between the Twin Cities and Rochester is to become the world's most expensive package delivery system:

The company is also looking to incorporate freight for "small, high-value" items. She referenced the potential to ship packages to consumers same day via the rail line. Seeking to develop real estate in connection with the proposed rail line also remains a key part of the plan. . . .

The company is also considering building four stops along the line. One would be known as the "North Terminal" and would likely be built in Bloomington near the Minnesota-St. Paul International Airport. Another stop would be constructed in a southern metro suburb to allow commuters to hop aboard. Up for debate is whether to build one or two stations in Rochester — one downtown and another at the airport. . . .

This seems like a very pricey way to duplicate service that's already provided by UPS, Fedex and other carriers using the existing roads and airports. But perhaps Meadley feels to have another reason to confiscate property along the line via eminent domain so her investors can prosper when developing that seized real estate.

Meanwhile, the freight rail guy and longtime Fedex employee advising the private group claims that if the no-so-high-speed rail isn't built, the smart people won't be able to deal with Highway 52 and they'll relocate to Denver, Beijing or Berlin. He tells Carlson:

Bill Goins, a longtime Fed Ex employee who serves on the MInnesota Freight Advisory Commission, has been advising the rail group. He said it makes sense to consider building a high-speed rail line between Rochester and the Twin Cities because of the massive Destination Medical Center economic development project. DMC is projected to add another 30,000 to 40,000 jobs in Rochester over the next 15 or 20 years. He said it's likely that some of those employees will live in the Twin Cities and commute to Rochester. That will put a heavy strain on the four-lane U.S. Highway 52, which is vital to commerce in the region.

"If we don't continue to be creative and innovative, we stand the chance of good companies, good employers saying, 'Hey, we could move to Denver or we could move to Beijing or we could move to Berlin' or whatever it might be, and our market loses," Goins said.

Currently, “we don’t see a lot of excess [transit] demand,” says Dan Holter, general manager of privately held Rochester City Lines, which operates coach-style buses for Rochester-bound commuters from the Twin Cities. “We’ve tried to add service going north, but people don’t want to transfer at Mall of America,” which would roughly be NAHSR’s terminus. Rail advocates point to inevitable gridlock on Hwy. 52 if DMC’s jobs vision is validated, but MnDOT says it has no data one way or another on that topic.

Will all those new Rochester workers be commuting from the Twin Cities--or living north of Rochester, thus clogging the roads? The Med City is also connected to Highway 14, a corridor of commerce that runs east-to-west, and some Mayo employees already chose to commute from small communities south of town like Chatfield.

But Meadley insists the company is making headway when it comes to convincing city and county officials to be open-minded about the project. She said the company will be looking to build a maintenance facility halfway along the line.

"That (maintenance facility) could be placed mid-corridor, so I think there are people in the counties and cities along the line that are open to exploring that before they condemn it because they want to see what the opportunities are," Meadley said.

In an article posted online Monday, Red Wing Republican Eagle's Michael Brun reports in County Board adopts Comprehensive Plan update that the Goodhue County Board has signaled that the North American High Speed Rail Group need to know what every frisky college student learns during freshman orientation: silence doesn't mean yes.

Brun reports in his lede:

Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt an update to the Goodhue County Comprehensive Plan, the first substantial revision in 12 years to the document that outlines the county’s vision for land use and future growth. Among the changes is a paragraph clarifying that land uses not mentioned in the plan should not be assumed to have the county’s support.

“So say a group advocating for, oh I don’t know, a Zip Rail project decided to say that, ‘Well, since Goodhue County does not explicitly take a stand against it, then we’re assuming that they’re for it,’” Board Chair Dan Rechtzigel said. “They can no longer make that statement.”

The plan also has a line requiring that new or proposed rail systems must provide a benefit to the county.

Assuming NAHSR moves forward and can raise sufficient capital, it still faces hurdles, say observers. The lack of public funding makes capital acquisition simpler; the same may not necessarily be true for capital deployment, however.

Opponents will be relieved to learn the Rochester train will face the same onerous, time-consuming, and lawsuit-inducing environmental reviews as a public project. “The environmental review is based on scope of the project, not who’s doing it,” says University of Minnesota law professor Alexandra Klass. (The U.S. Surface Transportation Board recently said it would take three years to complete environmental study of a proposed freight railroad bypass around Chicago.)

Fly-over counties aren't getting anymore friendly, either.

We'll continue to watch this shiny thing show as it keeps rising from the dead. In the meantime, passenger rail to Duluth (the rail lines already exist for the Northern Lights Express, so the cost would be far less) --or high speed rail directly to Chicago--would be better investments on the public or private dime than this.

Image: Will the zombie ziprail mutate into zombie package delivery?

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Jun 24, 2016

While Local officials discussed the Zika virus epidemic, the Albert Lea Tribune reports that local professiona1, Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Randy Kehr, fretted that the next minimum wage hike--from $9 to $9.50--could signal the end of the world as we know it.

The planned increase in Minnesota’s minimum wage could pose a challenge to small businesses, according to a local professional.

As of Aug. 1, Minnesota minimum wages are set to increase from levels set in August 2015:

Large employers with an annual gross volume of sales made or business done of $500,000 or more must pay at least $9.50 an hour, up from $9 per hour. . . .

Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Randy Kehr said the minimum wage increase could lead to decreased hours for small business employees to account for the increase.

He said most large employers in the community already pay more than minimum wage, noting he thinks it is a challenge for businesses to best handle the minimum wage increase for the company, its employees and its customers.

Oh. Another person disagrees, according to the article:

Myrtle resident Dennis LaCore said he knows a lot of people in the area who could use the increase.

“There’s a lot of need out there,” he said.

LaCore — who is retired — said though he supports a larger minimum wage increase, he thinks it is a good start.

Infographic: Economists say, despite what most people think, a huge chunk of the people in this country who make the minimum wage are trying to support children. GRAPHIC by EPI, via MN Minimum Wage & The Kids of The Working Poor, 2013.

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Jun 22, 2016

In an article posted online Monday, Red Wing Republican Eagle's Michael Brun reports in County Board adopts Comprehensive Plan update that the Goodhue County Board has signaled that the North American High Speed Rail Group need to know what every frisky college student learns during freshman orientation: silence doesn't mean yes.

Brun reports in his lede:

Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt an update to the Goodhue County Comprehensive Plan, the first substantial revision in 12 years to the document that outlines the county’s vision for land use and future growth. Among the changes is a paragraph clarifying that land uses not mentioned in the plan should not be assumed to have the county’s support.

“So say a group advocating for, oh I don’t know, a Zip Rail project decided to say that, ‘Well, since Goodhue County does not explicitly take a stand against it, then we’re assuming that they’re for it,’” Board Chair Dan Rechtzigel said. “They can no longer make that statement.”

The plan also has a line requiring that new or proposed rail systems must provide a benefit to the county.

Assuming NAHSR moves forward and can raise sufficient capital, it still faces hurdles, say observers. The lack of public funding makes capital acquisition simpler; the same may not necessarily be true for capital deployment, however.

Opponents will be relieved to learn the Rochester train will face the same onerous, time-consuming, and lawsuit-inducing environmental reviews as a public project. “The environmental review is based on scope of the project, not who’s doing it,” says University of Minnesota law professor Alexandra Klass. (The U.S. Surface Transportation Board recently said it would take three years to complete environmental study of a proposed freight railroad bypass around Chicago.)

Fly-over counties aren't getting anymore friendly, either.

Image: The zombie ziprail project never seems to die.

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The water quality in Minnesota lakes has a measurable economic benefit, members of the Whitefish Area Property Owners Association learned at the organization's annual meeting.

Patrick Welle, a professor emeritus from Bemidji State University, studied the relationship extensively and published several papers on the topic. Welle told the group at its June 11 meeting his studies found that not only is the clarity of water a factor in lakeshore property value, it's actually the "most important explanatory factor."

"Economics shows that it is much cheaper to do prevention effectively than it is to try to do mitigation after the fact," Welle said. "And some damages are irreversible."

A study Welle and three others produced in 2003 examined the effect of water quality on lakeshore property values within the Mississippi River headwaters region. This included lakes in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison and Aitkin counties. The study was later updated with more recent data and resulted in similar conclusions.

"Water quality has a positive relationship with property prices," the 2003 study stated. "Implicit prices of water quality was determined and calculations were made to illustrate the changes in property prices on the study lakes if a 1-meter change in water clarity would occur. Expected property price changes for these lakes are in the magnitude of tens of thousands to millions of dollars. The evidence shows that management of the quality of lakes is important to maintaining the natural and economic assets of this region." . . .

Lake home buyers prefer cleaner water? While we would hope that Minnesotans would value clean water out of the goodness of their deeply-felt ethical systems, at this point, we'll settle for better real estate appraisals.

People in conservative Crow Wing County might not want to invest in sneering at environmentalism. Perkins writes:

According to 2008 data from the University of Minnesota Extension, tourism and second homeownership spending in Crow Wing County is the third highest outside of the Twin Cities metro area.

Watson said these figures are strong evidence of a need to manage water quality and prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

"Realtors have stated that the first questions people ask when they're looking at lakefront property is, 'Does it have zebra mussels? Does it have milfoil?'" Watson said. "We need to get the attention of elected officials. They have a major asset here."

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Gazelka [R-Nisswa] talked about the Republican ideal of free enterprise. He also touched on the presidential election. Gazelka, who served as a state co-chair of the Ted Cruz campaign during the Republican primary, said he would vote for Donald Trump although he never actually said Trump's name in his remarks.

"I want somebody that at least says they're pro-life, at least says that they're going to appoint conservative judges, at least says good things about America and that America can be great, doesn't apologize for America," he said. "There's only one candidate that at least says those things. That's who I'm voting for."

That's a ringing endorsement, for sure. There was also a bake sale auction, Kayser reports.

Photo: Minnesota State Senator Paul Gazelka not saying Trump's name at the Falls Ballroom. Photo by Zach Kayser/Brainerd Dispatch.

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It is worth noting that the tax bill was the work of a bipartisan effort (in which Rep. Steve Green played a significant part) of both Republicans and Democrats. It was my understanding that the wording error in the bill could have been corrected by an administrative action by the Legislature. Despite this fact, Governor Dayton chose to use that excuse as a reason to hold the bill hostage to his personal (and DFL) wishes for a larger debt-ridden bonding bill. . . .

Perhaps Clauer knows something we don't. Could Green be the "invisible hand" of the Minnesota state legislature-- that unobservable force that helps the conflicting demands of caucuses, special interests, stakeholders and citizens to reach equilibrium automatically?

We'll keep an eye out for evidence Green has put his pinkie on the scale. Maybe the LTE writer was thinking of the district's state senator, Rod Skoe, DFL-Clearbrook, who chairs the Senate Tax committee.

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Plan to attend the public hearing June 30 and help spread the word! It's particularly important for residents of rural areas of Winona County where frac sand operations have been proposed -- like the Saratoga Township and St. Charles area, The Arches, and Stockton -- to attend and make their voices heard.

The Winona County Planning Commission's public hearing on the frac sand ban will be Thursday, June 30th, 7:00-10:00 pm, at the Tau Center, 511 Hilbert St., according to the page.

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In Weber addresses critics with added comments, a letter to the editors of the Worthington Daily Globe, the honorable Republican state senator from Luverne hopes to clear up what he perceives are misrepresentations in this letter and this one of his "comments to the governor during his recent visit to Worthington."

We'll have to take Weber's word for what he was trying to communicate to the governor, but there's at least one part of the letter that didn't ring true to us. Weber writes:

I urged the governor to call for careful evaluation of existing light rail operations. They are not meeting original projections of ridership, etc.If people do not use it, we do not solve problems of traffic congestion.

The METRO Blue Line set a new annual ridership record and system ridership increased for the 11th time in 12 years as customers took more than 85.8 million rides on buses and trains operated by Metro Transit in 2015. . . .

Ridership on both the Blue and Green light-rail lines continued to grow as customers used the all-day, frequent service to travel to work, school, special events and other destinations. The ability to transfer between light-rail lines in downtown Minneapolis also boosted ridership.

In all, more than 10.6 million rides were taken on the Blue Line, the highest annual ridership since it opened in mid-2004. The previous record of nearly 10.5 million rides was set in 2010. Average weekday ridership topped 30,000 for eight consecutive months.

Nearly 12.4 million rides were taken on the Green Line during its first full year of operation. Average weekday ridership was 37,400 – just under the 2030 forecast of 41,000 rides. Ridership in the Central Corridor, including the Green Line and bus routes 16 and 94, increased by about 30 percent from 2014 to 2015 and has nearly doubled since 2013, when service was provided by buses alone.

Oh. The Green Line's ridership trajectory appears to be following a similar path to that of the Blue Line, formerly known as the Hiawatha Line. In 2009, Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reported in Hiawatha light rail marks five years; what's next?:

Today marks five years of operation for the Hiawatha line, Minnesota's first light rail service.

Ridership is much greater than projected, and that success has helped spark a debate over how te expand transit in the Twin Cities metro area, and how to pay for it. . . .

Five years and 43 million passenger rides later, the Hiawatha line is coping with success.

Metro Transit spokesman Bob Gibbons says ridership for the line, which connects downtown Minneapolis with the Mall of America, is already 20 percent ahead of what ridership was expected to be 11 years from now. . . .

While I regret that some may be embarrassed by an honest and respectful discussion of issues and differences, I will continue to handle the responsibilities as state senator in such a way that truly seeks to resolve problems rather than give blind deference to the governor or anyone else.

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Jun 17, 2016

Talk about unbelievable corporate citizenship. On page 3 of the Agri-Growth Council's June Newsletter, in the article, Spotlight: Bayer SeedGrowth, we read this gem:

Bayer supports environmentally compatible practices company-wide, including recycling and green landscaping practices in all locations. As part of the SeedGrowth Equipment Innovation Center construction, planners worked with county conservationists to develop a native seed mix to plant in the no-mow areas that make up 85 percent of the outdoor area, and contractors installed drip irrigation in place of standard lawn sprinklers to save water. In addition, Bayer planted a pollinator seed mix around the facility to assist local beekeepers whose bees forage throughout the Shakopee area.

It's important for pollinators to have adequate forage. It's part of the matrix for bee health that University of Minnesota scientist Marla Spivak outlined in her MDA Pollinators Summit Presentation.

Yes, dear readers: while inside the SeedGrowth Equipment Innovation Center in Shakopee, Minnesota, Bayer toils to manufacture seed coating equipment with which to better coating seed with neonicotinoids and other insecticides, outside, bees and other pollinators will be supping on great pollinator forage.

The crops most likely to expose honeybees to harmful levels of imidacloprid are cotton and citrus, while "corn and leafy vegetables either do not produce nectar or have residues below the EPA identified level."

Screengrabs: slides from Marla Spivak's MDA Pollinators Summit Presentation. Spivak and her associates have discovered a matrix of factors that contribute to pollinator health. Look at the slideshow for more information.

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About three weeks ago, friends in Blue Earth County approached me about a potential DFL candidate to challenge Senator Julie Rosen in Senate District 23 who needed to know more about the process of running for office. It appeared from news reports and information online at the Campaign Finance Board that no one was stepping out to run against Rosen.

I learned from our phone conversation that Barb Lake of Mapleton is a reporter for the local paper whose background in education and strong working class/labor values are in line with the DFL. She's also well-educated, articulate, funny and tough, and after some discussion with her supporters and me, she agreed to run for office.

Only on the Friday that she filed at the Blue Earth County courthouse did she learn that there was another DFL candidate, when the county auditor mentioned that another person had filed. After some deliberation, Lake decided to remain in the race for the nomination in the August 9 primary--and hopefully the race against Rosen. After all, the governor challenged the endorsed DFL candidate in 2010, so a primary bid isn't taboo in progressive politics.

The other DFL candidate is John Lillis, who was endorsed by the DFL on May 9, but who had done little to make news known of his endorsement and his campaign prior to filing. This news item at KSUM/KFMC radio in Blue Earth was the only notice of the endorsement.

Lake began putting together a campaign committee, and for the moment, beginning Wednesday evening, I've agreed to be her committee chair. The hope is that I'll step out of the role as another supporter steps forward. This is an unpaid position.

To avoid conflicts of interest, I won't be writing about the race or Senator Rosen for the duration. As I have never asked for Minnesota House or Senate media credentials, the secretaries of the Senate and the House won't have to fret about a violation of their media credentialing policies. I won't be asking for media passes for Farmfest or other events as well, since I don't believe I qualify given this direct campaign involvement. (Involvement in a campaign isn't unprecedented in Minnesota's blogosphere, and the example for disclosure set by blogger Aaron Brown is a great model).

The Lake committee was registered with the board yesterday and is one of two committeesfor Senate District 23 as of early June 17, 2016, as the screengrab at the top of this post illustrates.

It's possible that the other DFL candidate's complete committee registration could appear today in that list. Lillis does have an incomplete registration with the Campaign Finance Board so it can be assumed he's working on the details, as he ought to have been since receiving the party's endorsement on May 9.

Update: The Lillis campaign completed its registration on June 17 (after this post was published on Friday morning) and is dated June 17. Lillis is his own chair (totally legal) and Nancy Etherington of Good Thunder is the treasurer. The campaign does not have a website. [end update]

As of now, At the time we posted this, the date of registration is was blank, there are no committee chair and treasurer, and no depository for checks:

Lake will be launching her campaign next week and I hope that Lillis does as well. It's important for the DFL voters to know about both candidates and where they stand on issues.

Photo: Screengrab of the candidates registered with the Campaign Finance Board as of 7:51 a.m. on Friday, June 17, 2016.

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Jun 15, 2016

The Winona Daily News and Winona Post report that on Tuesday, the Winona County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 on Tuesday to send the issue of banning most types of sand to the county planning commission.

The Winona County Board of Commissioners took a key step Tuesday toward a final decision on whether to ban most frac sand activity in the county.

The board voted 4-1 to send the issue to the county planning commission, which will have 60 days to hold a public hearing and make a recommendation to the county board. The county board will then be asked to make a final decision.

The vote followed similar lines as previous ones on the issue, including on April 26 when the board instructed planning staff and the county attorney to develop language for a ban on silica sand mining related to its use in fracking operations elsewhere in the county. . . .

The amendment’s language draws from several examples, including the Goodhue County Florence Township’s ban on silica sand mining for fracking, and the Land Stewardship Project’s proposed language for a ban.

The Winona County Planning Commission will have its hands full after Tuesday’s meeting. In a 4-1 vote, the County Board passed on a proposal to ban frac sand mining — defined as sand mining for industrial uses — to the Planning Commission. Jacob and Ward criticized the proposal as unfairly and illogically singling out frac sand from other sand mining industries. The proposal would allow construction sand mining.

Jacob said the proposal was “setting the table for a lawsuit,” but ultimately voted to pass the proposed ban on to the Planning Commission and a series of public hearings. The frac sand issue is an “open wound in the community,” Jacob said. There will never be closure unless the county goes through the process for considering this ban, he added. Ward voted against the proposal.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed frac sand ban before forwarding its recommendation to the County Board for another public hearing and a final vote.

Winona County commissioner Steve Jacob misleads the public and his constituents when he suggests that he and Winona County's frac sand rules played an important role in stopping the Minnesota Proppant frac sand processing plant in St. Charles in 2013. Nothing could be further from the truth.

That plant was stopped by the uproar of hundreds and hundreds of St. Charles area citizens that convinced the St. Charles City Council to scuttle the proposal. The plant would have been the largest frac sand plant in the U.S.

Winona County's very weak frac sand rules had nothing to do with stopping the proposal. And commissioner Jacob wasn't any help either. He was silent on the project and did not oppose it. The only public record I know of regarding Jacob and the project is the financial contribution made to Jacob's 2012 election campaign (and reported to the county auditor on his own campaign financial report) by the spokeswoman for Minnesota Proppant.

Nopar is correct. We posted extensively about the fight against the proposed sand plant in St. Charles, drawing from coverage by the Rochester Bulletin, the Winona papers and other Minnesota media. Shame on the county commissioner for erasing the role of citizens working to preserve the quality of life in their community.

Photo: A frac sand mine.

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By now, the spectrum of Minnesota political reporters and pundits have weighed in on state representative Tony Cornish's provocative June 7 letter to the editors of the Star Tribune, "Really, this isn't complicated."

Some of statements by the lawman turned lawmaker to the media since the flap, on the other hand, hasn't gotten much scrutiny. Take a remark Cornish made to Nancy Madsen in Rep. Cornish won't back down from letter in Star Tribune, an article published last week in the Waseca County News.

Waiting two years for someone in the metro to support the police

Cornish tells Madsen that constant criticism of the police prompted the piece. She reports:

But Cornish, a retired conservation officer who also had stints as a police officer and sheriff’s deputy, said he’s simply defending law enforcement officers, who are wrongly blamed for the consequences of other people’s actions.

“I’ve waited for two years for somebody from the metro area, from those areas, to say something in support of police,” he said. “I haven’t seen any administrator stand up for them and these advocacy groups keep beating down police, so I said something in defense of them.”

Did no one in a position of authority in the metro area come to law enforcement's defense--or is Cornish simply up to the grandstanding for which he's sometimes known? (One of the most famous recent episodes is that 2016 bid for congress that never quite came together).

We're not quite sure what he means by "administrators," but we'll take it as folks like mayors and the governor. It's not hard to find examples of "somebody from the metro area, from those areas, to [saying] something in support of police."

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman defended his police department and its use of deadly force during an interview with MPR News today.

Leaders of the city's African-American community have raised concerns about the St. Paul Police Department's tactics and the city's protocol for investigating complaints against police. St. Paul officers shot and killed at least 11 suspects since 2008. That's more than any other city in the state. . .

In an interview on MPR News today, Coleman spoke publicly about that shooting for the first time. The mayor said it appears to have been justified.

"At this point I've seen no evidence to suggest those aren't exactly the facts — this is an officer-involved shooting that was absolutely a part of procedure and protocol."

Coleman said the other 10 shootings were justified as well. He argues the data are misleading, because the numbers are so small; they don't mean St. Paul's officers are trigger-happy. . . .

In response to the indictment today by U.S. Attorney’s office of 11 alleged gang members for federal gun violations, following a multi-jurisdictional investigation that included the Minneapolis Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mayor Betsy Hodges released the following statement:

“Getting illegal guns off our streets, and holding responsible those who use them to victimize the people who live and work in our city, are important strategies for making every neighborhood of Minneapolis a safe place to call home. Today’s indictments are another strong step forward toward that goal.

“I thank U.S. Attorney Andy Luger and our law enforcement partners at the ATF and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office for their coordination in this investigation. My special thanks go to the Minneapolis Police Department, led by Chief Janeé Harteau, and the officers who played a role in this multi-agency collaboration to get these individuals off the streets.”

Locking away those who use guns to commit crimes is probably a priority about which Cornish and Hodges agree--and prosecuting criminals with guns is a standard talking point of gun rights advocates, who point to their own law-abiding status.

The mayor began her speech with a discussion of the uptick in gun violence in the city, particularly in north Minneapolis. She said more officers are joining the police force and that officials are aiming to cut into violent crime by encouraging police to do more community outreach. Officers will also be outfitted with body cameras this year.

She acknowledged the city has gone through “several tough, emotional months” following the police shooting of Jamar Clark, which prompted an 18-day occupation of the Fourth Precinct police headquarters and other demonstrations.

“Positive police contacts in the neighborhood are up 63 percent over last year and 231 percent over two years ago,” she said. “This work of building community trust has a long-term deterrent effect on violence. The fact that we measure it at all is a sign of change in how we approach policing in Minneapolis.”

Community activists critical of the police have staged actions at events where Hodges has spoken, as well as calling for her to become a one-term wonder. Apparently, they see a much different Mayor Hodges than the one in Cornish's vision of metro leaders.

Gov. Mark Dayton thinks a chant of “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon,” during a Black Lives Matter St. Paul march to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds “was a terrible thing to say,” his press secretary said Tuesday.

His comment came in response to Rep. Tony Cornish calling on Dayton on Tuesday not to meet with the group unless it apologizes for the chant that law enforcement groups have called threatening. . .

The fervent campaign to restrict the body camera measure is a sign of the rising clout that law enforcement officials have at the State Capitol, but which is also drawing critics who say the influence is excessive.

Law enforcement lobbyists say their political potency is overstated, noting a string of high-profile losses, like their failed push for broader background checks on firearm purchases. . .

(Cough)

Law enforcement groups have advocated on a variety of measures at the Capitol in recent years, ranging from allowing cops to retain license plate reader scans to blocking an expansion of fireworks sales. They also helped shape one of the most restrictive medical marijuana laws in the country.

But on Planet Cornish, no one stands up for law enforcement.

Policy and the use of force

The power of law enforcement at the state capitol loops back to the opening sentence in Cornish's letter to the Strib:

Lately some advocacy groups have been asking what we can do to “reduce the use of force by police.”

The letter then shifts to suggest that only those stopped by police can stop the use of force--offering supposedly helpful rules. One rule is:

5) Don’t flap your jaws when the police arrive. Don’t disobey the requests of the police at the time. If you think you are wrongfully treated, make the complaint later.

And yet, it is the financial consequences of those complaints for taxpayers that suggest that if Tony can't see cops' obligations to their fellow citizens' civil rights and dignity, perhaps as a fiscal conservative he might appreciate the cost savings that could come to cities if officers learn tactics to prevent the use of force.

Police misconduct has cost Minnesota taxpayers millions of dollars in payouts from lawsuits in cities throughout the state. Between 2011 and 2014, the city of Minneapolis paid out more than $9.3 million from police misconduct lawsuits, according to an analysis by Minnesota Public Radio. The city agreed to a $3 million payout in 2013 following a lawsuit filed by the family of David Smith. The 28-year-old man, described as mentally ill, died after being restrained by two officers at a YMCA in 2010, according to the Star Tribune. City officials defended the actions of the officers. Police guidelines require officers to quickly turn a suspect on his side to prevent asphyxiation.

A federal court jury ordered the city to pay $2.1 million in damages and attorneys’ fees in 2011 after it found two officers liable for the wrongful death of Dominic Felder, 27, who was shot dead by police in 2006. In another case, the city paid $1 million to Rickia Russell, who was severely burned in 2010 from a police flash grenade.

The Star Tribune reported that the city paid nearly $14 million because of police misconduct from 2006 to 2012. The settlements were as high as $4.5 million. Along with excessive force leading to death or injury, cases involved property damage during raids and using racial slurs. . . .

In 2012 alone, the city of St. Paul had payouts of about $1 million for police misconduct, according to the Pioneer Press at TwinCities.com. A woman received a $400,000 settlement after police executing a search warrant injured her with a flash distraction device. The city settled a lawsuit for $249,000 after a man suffered burns on the face from chemical spray and received a skull fracture and gashes on the head.

St. Paul officials also reached a $385,000 settlement from a police misconduct lawsuit by a woman who charged police employees used her private driver’s license for personal information. . . .

Perhaps Cornish believes those awarded monetary settlements brought all this on themselves, just as Jamar Clark's standing with his hands in his pockets was warrant for a death sentence.

But given the lives lost and the awards shelled out, perhaps Representative Cornish might think about serious policy review and training, rather than the cheap, attention-getting thrill of a dogwhistle--that's in the end not so inexpensive.

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Update: The post is set to "Friends" and a reader posted this remark in our comment section:

Umm, Mr. Miller's post is not deleted. It's still there. Those commenting on it are pointing out the same thing Mr. Miller was attempting to point out ... the author of that article was either a complete pansy or just making things up. If a 11 year old girl can shoot an AR-15 with ease and precision I'm pretty sure something is smelling fishy and you maybe better do your homework better before you promote such an obviously fabricated piece of journalism.

We stand corrected about Representative Miller's intent--but not the tone deafness of the lawmaker's timing on the post. Or that of his explainer who remarks "the author of that article was either a complete pansy or just making things up."

We apologize for claiming that Miller deleted the comment and we were a bit tone deaf on Miller's tone. We'll certainly be skeptical of this friend's tips in the future [end update].

Miller supplied the headnote:

I love this. Temporary PTSD, fired like a bazooka (do they even exist anymore), sounds like a cannon, bruised his shoulder? Man, I would love to get my hands on his AR-15. The ones I've fired aren't nearly as intense as his! Jealous!

One day after 49 people were killed in the Orlando shooting, I traveled to Philadelphia to better understand the firepower of military-style assault weapons and, hopefully, explain their appeal to gun lovers.

But mostly, I was just terrified.

Many gun shops turned down our request to fire and discuss the AR-15, a style of semi-automatic rifle popular with mass killers such as San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook and similar to the Sig Sauer MCX rifle [link added] used by Orlando terrorist Omar Mateen. . . .

Perhaps Miller will explain himself by saying his comments were about the gun itself and not the content of the article or the context in which it was written. [see note above]

Whatever.

As a constituent of Representative Miller, we're used to him being a bit tone deaf about the sentiments of people whom he perceives as different from himself. Witness the exchange on Pioneer Public Television's Your Legislators between Minnesota marriage equality senate author Scott Dibble and Miller about the latter man's anti-transgender student bill that we wrote up in VIDEO: Scott Dibble schools Tim Miller about MSHSL transgender policy, MN anti-bullying law.

But failing to honor the nation's grief over mostly gay and Latino victim's at a popular LGBTQ nightclub is the act of someone who is at best a clod. At worst? Supply your own expletive.

Miller also campaigned against former state representative Andrew Falk's marriage equality vote--and has expressed doubts about the notion of equality in general. Nonetheless, one would expect a bit of restraining in jonesing for joking about firepower while the airwaves are still filled with the sobs of survivors and family members of victims of the early Sunday morning massacre in Orlando.

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